After May
by Writing4MySoul
Summary: My take on the proposal scene for June/Neil from June's eyes. Originally written Sept. 2011


It had been a week since May's death. It was hard on all of us, but August was the most heartbroken. But it was time to stop mourning and start living, as May had written. I had gotten up early to prepare for Mary Day. Rosaleen, August and I were baking when Lily walked in, deciding to sleep late that morning.

"What are y'all doing?" Lily asked, a wide grin plastering her face. The look in her eyes made me realize I was still singing. I forgot completely, since the work on with my hands made me so busy. We stopped singing, and giggled like little school girls, shoving each other lightly, not trying to hurt each other on purpose.

"Well, look who's up," said Rosaleen.

Lily eyed me up and down, probably curious why I was wearing what I was wearing. It was light, frilly, which was the opposite of my usual mood. I couldn't blame her for being curious.

I said, "We're baking cakes for Mary Day. It's about time you got over here and helped us. Didn't August tell you this was Mary Day?"

Lily glanced in August's direction. "No ma'am, she didn't."

August wiped her hands across the front of one of May's aprons and said, "I guess I forgot to mention it. We've been celebrating Mary Day around here every August for fifteen years. Come on and get your breakfast, and then you can help us. We've got so much to do I don't know whether we're gonna make it."

Lily started helping by starting on the Rice Crispies treats. She had a determined look on her face, like she had something to say, otherwise she was gonna explode. I cringed internally at the thought. I had already lost May, I wasn't gonna lose Lily.

August said, "A thousand years ago women were doing this exact same thing. Baking cakes for Mary on her feast day."

I looked at Lily's face, which was blank. "Today is the Feast of the Assumption. August fifteenth," I explained, "Don't tell me you never heard of that."

Something flashed in her eyes. "We didn't really allow Mary at our church except at Christmas."

How do you not allow Mary? She's in everybody, for crying out loud! I tried to control the anger that flared in me. Surprisingly, it worked.

August smiled, and explain to Lily about the Assumption while the rest of us worked.

"May is the one who started calling it Mary Day," I said, which brought back pain.

August started saying something while my mind wandered as I worked. A knock on the door brought me back to reality. When I saw Neil, my heart did a little flip.

"I this isn't the best- smelling house in Tiburon, I'll be a monkey's uncle."

I couldn't' help but smile. "Well, I guess you're saved from that special relationship then. honey cake?" He shook his head at my offer. That's when I knew something was wrong. Neil never refused food.

Finally I asked, "What are you doing here?"

He cleared his throat and rubbed his sideburns. "I-I came over hoping to have a word with you" The Marriage question popped in my head when he said that. Only, I didn't know what my answer would be.

"Are you all right?" I asked, already knowing he wasn't.

"I'm fine," he responded. I knew him long enough that that statement wasn't true.

"Well, I'm listening."

"I thought we could take a drive."

"If you haven't noticed, I'm up to my ears in work, Niel."

"I can see that, but-"

"Look, just tell me what it is. What is so all-fired important?"

Everybody was looking at me and Neil ,probably wondering what the hell was going on.

"Hell, I came over here planning to ask you, for the hundredth time, to marry me."

The world fell to silence of shock and awe. Then what May wrote flashed in my head. I could hear her in my head now. _Don't screw up now, June. stop living in the past, and hope for the future._

Finally, Rosaleen said something. "Well, don't just stand there with your mouth open, June. Say something." I hadn't realized my mouth was open in shock. I snapped it shut immediately.

Everybody was staring at me, waiting patiently. After what felt like an eternity, I let out a sigh. "All right," I said, "Let's get married."

Rose slapped her thigh and started whooping loudly, and August broke out into the biggest grin I'd seen since May's death, while Lily stood there with a blank expression on her face.

Neil walked over to me and kissed me for so long, I wasn't sure if he was gonna let me breathe. He might have tried to capture my very soul, like having my hearty wasn't enough already.

Finally, he let me go to breathe. "We're going to the jewelry store this very minute before you change your mind."

I bit my tougne, holding a rude comment. I looked over at August, saying, "Well, I hate to leave them with all the work."

"Go on," August said, knowing as well as everybody else that I wanted to leave. Neil and I walked out of the house, and I didn't look back on my decision.


End file.
